Head-tightening device for banjos and the like



A. D. GROVER.

HEAD TIGHTENING DEVICE FOR BANJOS AND THE LIKE.

APPUCATION FILED MAY1e.19l9.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

lobjectionable for various reasons.

ALBERTI). GROVER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HEAD-TIGHTENING DEVICE FOR BANJOS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

l Application filed May 16, 1919. Serial No. 297,465.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT D. Gnomiz, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in I Ieacl-Tiglitening Devices for Banjos and the like, of-which the following is a specification. l

My invention relates generally to musical stringed instruments, such as the banjo and others of that type, and its object is to provide a readily attachable device for keeping the parchment head of the instrument in tight condition.

It is well understood by players of the banjo that the instrument is not in good playing condition unless the head is tight. InA damp weather the head becomes loose and fiabby, thus making the instrument unfit for playing-at least, the tone produced under such conditions is dull and does not carry far. In the parlance of the players, the banjo becomes l dead. Heretofore the player would tighten the head of his instrument by turning down the bracket screws. But it was found that this pullingdown process was ruinous to the head. If the bracket screws were not loosened in time, the head would on the next dry day break or crack owing to the contraction.

A form of head-tightening device heretofore used consisted of aV wire ring pressed against the inside of the head to push the same outwardly. But these tone rings, asthey are usually called by the players', are

For instance, the inevitable edect of such a ring is to decrease the effective diameter of the head. In other words, it makes a smaller banjo out of a larger one and consequently the volume' of'sound is decreased. Another seriousvobjection'to the use of those wire rings is that they push the head up against the extension of the finger board and at the same time raise the bridge, so that the strings are being constantly forced away from the finger board. Furthermore, when a player wants to place one of those tone rings l on hisvbanjo, the instrument has to be sent to the shop and taken apa-rt in order to get the ring in under the head.

The forego-ing objections are entirely obviated by my'new head-tightening device, which is simple in construction and can be instantly attached to any banjo. The objects and advantages of my device will become apparent from a. detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows the back of a banjo with my new head-tightening device in place;

Fig. 2y vis a cross-section on line Q-Q of Fig.. l;

DFig. 3 Fig. 1;

Fig. cross-section, approximately on line ddl of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view (partly broken away) of one of the contact nienr bers which bear against the head.

Since the banjo to which my device is shown attached is of the usual construction, it will not be necessary to describe the details thereof, and I will only say that 1 rep resents the head, 2 the stick, 3 the bracket screws, and 4; a portion of the finger board. In Fig. 1, the dotted lines 5 indicate the tail piece, G the bridge, and 7 the strings.

My new head-tightening device comprises a pair of separated contact pieces A and a support for holding them pressed against the inner side of the head. In the broader aspect of my invention, this support may be mechanically embodied in various forms, but at present I prefer a bar B, which is stiff and of suitable resilient material. The contact pieces A are preferably, but not necessarily, substantially arc-shaped. I have obtained highly satisfactory results by making the contact members and the bar of metal, such as steel, although other resilient material may be used. The bar may be made stiff and yet light by providing the same with side flanges S. To establish an easily separable and adjustable connection between the bar B and the contact pieces A, I provide the latter with a tongue or projection 9 adapted to enter between the side tlanges 8 of the bar. This is best shown in Fig. 4.

The bar B is attached to thc stick '2 of the instrument by any suitable means, but I prefer to use the attaching plate shown in the drawings. This attaching plate is the same as that shown and claimed in my copending application Serial No, 145,572, filed January 3l, 1917. Briefly described, this is a cross-section on line 3 3 of d is an enlarged detailed view in attaching plate comprises a metal base plate 10 provided with a pair of fixed pins 11 which project through a pair of alined openings formed in the bar B. The base plate 10 is also provided with a pair of pointed screws 12 which bite into the wood of the stick 2 and thereby firmly hold the plate l0 and the bar B against turnin yi'novement relatively to the stick. A pair of thumb screws 12, also carried by the plate 10, allow the player to readily adjust the pressure of the contact pieces A against the head.

It will be clear from the foregoing that I have provided an exceedingly simple and efficient device for keeping the head of the banjo, or like instrument, in tight condition. The device is very easily attached, since the contact pieces A andthe bar B are separable. The slidable engagement between the bar B and the Contact pieces A permits the use of the device on differentsized banjos, or allows the player to place the Contact pieces at the desired distance from the rim. Referring to Fig. 1, the

contact pieces A are shown in full lines in what I should regard as their best position for the size of banjo illustrated. If the device is applied to a larger banjo, the contact pieces may be moved outwardly into the dotted-line position A. Should conditions require, the contact pieces may be moved inwardly into the position roughly outlined by the dotted lines A2.

The head-tightening device may be left on the banjo as a permanent attachment. It does not perceptibly add to the weight of the instrument and is never in the way. In dry weather the thumb screws 13 are so adjusted that the contact pieces A exert but a slight pressure on the head under the influence of the resilient bar B. Should the player find that the head of his banjo is becoming loose or flabby, he simply tightens the screws 13 until he nds that the pressure against the head is sufficient to take up the slackness. This manipulation of the thumb screws 13 is but the work of a few moments, and may in fact be done during the playing of a selection, should the occasion require it.

When I refer to the contact pieces A as being substantially arcshaped, I do not mean to imply any limitation as to their precise configuration. I simply mean that the contact pieces should in a rough and general way follow the curvature of the rim, whereby the pressure against the head is more or less evenly distributed. The precise location of the contact pieces is immaterial, provided that the lines or places of contact are away from the string-supporting bridge 6. If the contact pieces extended under bridge 6, or in close proximity thereto, or in the space between the bridge and the tailpiece (as is the case with the so-called tone rings previously referred to), the result would be a dulled or muted tone, instead of the sharpened, increased tone caused by my device.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is:

l. In combination with a banjo or the like, a stiff bar connected at or near its center with the stick of the instrument, and separated curved contact members supported on the bar between the free ends of said bar and the head, said members bearing against the inner side of the head to exert an outward pressure thereon under the infiuence of said bar and thereby maintain the head taut.

2. In combination with a banjo or the like, a stiff bar connected at or near its center with the stick of the instrument, separated curved contact members supported on the bar between the free ends of said bar and the head, said members bearing against the inner side of the head to exert an outward pressure thereon under the influence of said bar and thereby maintain the head taut, and readily operable means for adjusting the pressure of said lmembers against the head.

3. In combination with a banjo or the like, a stiff bar connected with the stick of the instrument, and contact members slidably connected with the free ends of said bar and located between the bar and the head, said members bearing against the inner side of the head to exert an outward pressure thereon under the influence of said bar and thereby maintain the head taut.

f1. In combination with a banjo or the like, a metal bar connected at or near its center with the stick of the instrument, and substantially arc-shaped contact members of metal supported on the bar between the free ends of said bar and the head, said members bearing against the inner side of the head to exert an outward pressure thereon under the influence of said bar and thereby maintain the head taut.

5. In combination with a banjo or the like, a bar connected at or near its center with the stick of the instrument, said bar having side fianges to stilfen it, and a pair of substantially arc-shaped contact members adjustably connected with the ends of said bar and arranged between the bar and the head, said members bearing'against the inner side of the head to exert an outward pressure thereon under the iniiuence of said bar and thereby maintain the head taut.

6. In combination with a banjo or the like, a bar connected at or near its center with the stick of the instrument, said bar having side flanges to stiffen it, a pair of substantially arc-shaped contact members adjustably connected with the ends of said bar and arranged between the bar and the head, said members bearing against the inner side of the head to exert an outward pressure thereon under the influence of said bar and thereby maintain the head taut, and means for adjusting said bar at its middle section toward and away from the head to vary the pressure of said members against the head.

7. In combination with a banjo or the like, a bar connected at or near its center with the stick of the instrument, said bar having side flanges to stiften it, and a pair of substantially arc-shaped contact members connected with the ends of said bar and arranged between the bar and the head, said members having each a tongue or projection arranged to engage the bar between said iianges, whereby said members are slidable on said bar, said members bearing against the inner side of the head to exert an outward pressure thereon under the influence of said bar and thereby maintain the head taut.

8. In combination with a banjo or the like, a pair of separated substantially arcshaped contact members bearing against the inner side of the head, and a support for holding said members pressed against the head to keep the same taut.

9. In combination with a banjo or the like, a pair of separated substantially aroshaped contact members bearing against the inner side of the head, a support for holding said members pressed against the head to keep the same taut, and means for adjusting said support to vary the pressure of said members against the head.

l0. A head-tightening device for banjos and the like, comprising a stiff bar to be' connected at 0r near its center with the stick of the instrument, and a pair of separated substantially arc-shaped contact members adapted to be adjustably connected with the free ends of said bar to bear against the inner side of the head.

11. A head-tightening device for banjos and the like, comprising a stiff bar adapted to be connected at or near its center with the stick of the instrument, and a pair of contact members adapted to. be connected with the free ends of said bar to bear against the inner side of the head, each of said members having a tongue or projection for slidable engagement with said bar.

l2. In combination with a banjo or the like, a pair of separated substantially arcshaped contact members bearing against the inner side of the head, and a support for holding said members pressed against the head to keep the same taut, said members being adjustably connected with said support.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 15th day of May, 1919.

ALBERT D. GROVER. 

